The main square of Batna — named, like dozens of Algerian town squares, after the date the independence war began in 1954 — is the social centre of the city. In the evenings it fills with families, young men playing cards at café tables, and the general unhurried circulation that characterises Algerian public life. There is nothing architecturally remarkable about the square itself, but it is the best place to feel the pulse of the city.
The cafés around the square serve strong coffee and mint tea. In summer the evening promenade goes on well past midnight, as people sensibly avoid the midday heat and come out when the air cools. The square is also the starting point for the main commercial streets, where you can buy dried fruit, nuts, and Aurès honey — the local mountain honey is legitimately good and makes a compact thing to bring back.